krause



N. II. IIIIAUSE.

AUTOMATIC FHICTION CLUICH.

APPLICATION man APR. s. Isla.

1,330,193. a Talented Feb. 10,1920.

2 SHEETSI--SHEEI 1.

fi. KRAUSE.

MIC FCTIGN CLUCH.

APPucmoN man ma` u` |918.

AUTM

Patented Feb. 10,4920.

2 SHEETSSHEFT 2.

face. Also loosely mounted WISCONSIN, .ASSIGNGR T0 J. I. CASE THRESHING AUTOMATIC FRICTION-CLUTCH.

Application filed April 8. 1918.

To n/i' whom 1'/ )1mg/romain.'

lic it known that I. Nouimx lt. Knaiise, a citizen of the linitcil States. residing" at Racine` in thv county ot' liaviiiv :ind State ot' iisronsiin have ini'vntvd certain new and uavtul liiipimcnivnts iii Automatic Frictiont`liitches, ot which thv following is. a speciib cation.

My invention ivlatvs to automatic friction cliitchva` i'or controllin;` di'ivvn mechanisms associated with machines for different purposes. hut which is mpci'ially adapted for application to band cultel and feeders for threshing iiiai'hiin-s. and consista in certain details ol construction and arrangements of parte ol' a `ainiplilied and positive character for the purpose. ay will bc hvrcinat'tcr more particularly explained.

ln the accompanylug drawing. forming a part hereof. Figure l is an elevation, partly in section. ot' my iiupi'oi'vd clutch; Fig. 2 is also an elevation: l"i;`. Si is a detail oll a portion of said Vdrum-turc; Fig'. Vl is a se@ tional view ol' a portion of thv mechanism shown in Fig. l [alien at right angle to the shalt on which it i mountvd: Fig. 5 is a similar vii-w showing soniv ol thv rotary clvments iii poaition ilillvii-iit to that indicated iu Fics. 1 and l. and ltligs. l and 7 are cloratione showing the spi'oclivt unil wheel, iespcclively. i'oi'iiiing partal ol' my iiiiproi'eniviil.

lu Said drauiiig's the clutch is Shown as applied to a threshing' machine feeder, a driving' shaft.. (i. therefor living provided with a disk collar. T, T. Adjacent said dial( T' and` loosely nioiiiitvil upon Said shaft iS a sprocket. pulley or other power inipartingr vlvnicnt, R. (a sproclivt living shown for illustration) having' allixcd thereto a Cain extension. il. preferably embodying' a istepped upon said shaft (l is a whci-l. 10. i'otatiiugY in the dirvi-tion indicated by the` arrow in Figs. i! and 7. haiing aiiixvil thereto a cani extension. 11, the cani surface ol' which normally matches or rcgistcis with that of extension Sl as indicated by the full line in Fic'. l. inner side of Said wheel 10. l Secure a spring1 adjusting platev` 12. which is concentrically arranged therewith. Said plate has an opening. 13, therein and is also provided with a. concentric slot, 15. and a projectingl aini. ifi. A aci-vw or bolt. li'. pasao through Said slotted portion 15, serving to connect said plate Specification of Letters Patent.

Upon the Patented Feb. 10, 1920. Serial No. 227,208.

to the wheel lt), and to lock and maintain the saine in stationary relation to said Wheel. Une vnd ol a torsion spring, 18, is attached to 4eaiil adjustinrr plate, preferably by the screw L1, secured in the opening 13 and is coiled about cam members 9 and 11, its other end being secured to sprocket 8 in any Suitable manner. At the outer end of saidhaft is a rotatabh` head, 20, embodying a hub, 21, which latter is keyed or otherwise lixedly .secured to shaft (i. and which head is to be engaged by and rotated in the direction of Said whecl lt) in a manner to be further explained. l associate with said Wheel 10 a `suitable stop or friction brake as, 22, whic latter may he anchored. as at 23, then extended about said wheel l0 and connected to a lever, 2l. or other actuating mechanism.

AS will be readily.understood, my iinproivd clutch"aitttacliilliint.is designed for operatingr ohci" mechanism independently from that tof which shlf'ift 6 is directly connected. as. for'instanec, vthe sprocket or pullcy 8 which communicates with another rotaryy element which it is desired to place in or vout of operation while, shaft 6 contiliiiviis to oiierate.

Tn Figs. i and 2. the clutch mechanism is .shown in inactive position, that; is, duevto an emergency which necessitated the ceSsation of rotation thereof the brake. has becoine automatically set about wheel 10. so that said wheel and sprocket 8, being locked by the fri'ctioiial engagement of cams 9 and 11, become substantially a unit. and` there-Y fore, idle upon shaft 6, due to the. resistance of said hiakeband and the load assumed by the sprocket. Upon the instant; said brake is i-ilvascd. said mechanism becomes transformed into a driven and driving element. in the following manner. positc ends ot' spring 1S being connected to sprocket R and wheel 10, respectively. the moment Said brake is released, the power of said Spring' produces a slight rotation of wheel 10 in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 7 against rotating head 20. which is an extremely short move-ment because of the close proximity of the parts. synchronously with this movement there is a cainininglr effect; upon the cams 9.and 11, in the direction of rotation of 'Wheel 10,

causing the inclined surfaces thereof to Slide or climb upon each onslv contact with head 20 and sprocket 8 against disk 7' so that each of these elements partake of the rotary action of said lead and disk, and, being locked by the cams, constitute a unitary structure for imparting roltary motion to said sprocket. The rotation Vof wheel 10 maintains a constantly increasling contact of the inclined cam surfaces so that there is an .absolutely positive frictional en agement between said wheel and rotary head 20 and the sprocket and disk, and the cumming tendency of the cams through the rotary force imparted by wheel 10 insures direct and positive driving power to sai sprocket. In this manner I am enabled by a comparatively slight amount of material and the inclined or pitched `arrange-ment of the cam faces to produce a maximum frictional power with said can` surface-s, as the pressure therebetween is of constantly increasing positive character, and, as will be understood, by graduating said surfaces in acute or prolonged arrangement, I am enabled to compensate for light or heavy ower according tothe exigencies of the mechanisms to be equipped with frictional actuating means of the character described.

Instantly upon the application of brake 22, or any suitable stopping device as heretofore indicated, the force of spring 18 and the sliding (through their inclined relationship) 0f cams 9l and '1l draw said wheel 10 and sprocket 8 into the position indicated in Fi s. 1 and 4, the opposite assemblage heretoire related being indicated in Fig. 5. In this manner of arrangement I am enabled to supply an extremely sensitive but powerful driven element which is automatically and instantly set in actuating or inoperative postion; according to the emergent necessities of complicated mechanisms such as are involved in the operation of threshing mas chinery.

It will be understood that for the spef cie purpose of governing the How of straw into a threshing machine feeder, the mechanism connected with the sprocket or driver 8 is called `upon to be actuated or not according to contingencies, and, therefore, my improved friction clutch as a whole, is subject to actuation accordingly.

Asplspring 18 is sub]ect to distortion b v the action of the cam members 9 and 11 it becomes desirable at times to increase its tension, which is readily accomplished by slightly loosening the nut on screw 17 so that by grasping the projecting arm 16 the spring' adjusting plate 12 may be slightly turned and said spring thus wound or tightened and maintained in its adjusted position by retightening said screw 17.

' lI am aware that straw governors and automatic clutches for various purposes have been` devised and which I do not broadly claim, but in actual practice I have demonstrated that my improved clutch is positivo in its action, simple in operation. and readily responsive to the actualtics incident to the varied 'requirements of a threshing machine feeder or llike complicated nnu'hlnery requiring control of certain oiE its actuating mechanisms independently di' or iu cooperI4 ation with the remainder, and which l nccomplish, as indicated, by a simple cam nrrangement involving slight material hut :vet

vso arranged as to impart powerful trictionnl engagement to the parts associated therewith` and which positive in action at all times. As is well known, the power oi' friction-ally engaging insti-nnientnlitios usually negatived by the presence of oil upon the contacting surfaces thereof. which in the operation of some machinery is almost unavoidable Jfrom accident or4 surplusagioi lubricating.1r material finding; its way to such parts, but in employing cam nrrangenn'nis embodying inclined surfaces such as dis-- closed l have demonstralml that when oil is introduced upon such surfaces the inll clutch power thereof is retained and no ineiiicienry whatever in this respect occurs, and also that when oil is applied between the contacting surfaces oi' head il() and wheel ll). as well as between said cam faces, these parts grip more smoothly and are thus` moriI eili'ient.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic friction clutch. the combination, with a shaft, oi' a disk iixedly secured thereto, a driven element adjacent said disk and having.r a cam extension, a wheel embodying u Cam extension adjacent said driven element, a torsional spring imposed between said driven element and said wheel, means associated with said wheel for increasing the tension of said spring, means adjacent said wheel against which the latter may he contacted and rotated thereby, and means for preventing and permitting the rotary movement of said wheel.

2. In au automatic friction clutch, n shaft. a rotatable head nil'ixed thereto, n wheel un said Shaft adapted to be contacted with said head, a cam associated with said wheel` a driven element on said shaft having a ram registering with said wheel cam, a disk adjacent said driven element and fixedly secured to said shaft, a spring adjusting plate associated about said cam extensions and connected to said plate and said driven element, und means for prevent-ing and permitting the rotary movement of said wheel.

3. In an automatic friction clutch. a shaft, a driven element loosely mounted and slidable thereon, said a cam extension. a trietionally controlled wheel loosely and slidahly mounted upon said shaft, said wheel embodying a com extension registering with said first mentioned cam, means for frictionally contacting said driven element embodying with said wheel, a spring coiled frictionally contacting said driven element and rotating the same, and means for pre- Aventing and permitting the rota ry movement of said wheel.

4. In an autmnatic friction clutch, a shaft, a rotatable head affixed thereto, a frictionally controlled shiftaiblo wheel ,mounted upon said shaft adjacent said hood, a spring adjustingr plate associated with said wlxcel, a cam extension associated with said wheel` mean for shifting said whccl to ong-aga said head, and means for preventing' and permitting the rotar7 movement of said wheel. 5. In an automatic friction clutch,a shaft, rotary driving means afli-xed thereto, means adaptedlto frictionally contact with Said drivin means and having a cam thereon, a disk a X'ed to Said Shaft, a driven clcn'ic-nt adjacent said disk having a cuni thereon adapted to engage said first nicntioncfi {tail}l and a sinn conncctinl' said driven cley ment and Sald frictional contacting means for engaging anddisengaging thev latter in relation to said driving moans, and in'altc mechanism for coi'ltroliing the rotary move ment of said rictional means.

6. In an automatic fiicti/ni clim-ii, :i braio: Wheel liu'vinff a cani cxtonaion thereon, :nouns for preventing and. permitting me i sry movement of said wheel, a driven element having a. Cain extension contacting Said first mentioned cani, a tension controlling;r Spring A communicating with said brake Wheel and said driven element for shitting said wheel toward and from said driven clement, and means for adjusting| said spring. i

7'. In an automatic friction clutch, a rotary frictional engaging element embodying a cam member the facc whci'eoiE .in provided `with inclined offsets, moans 'for promoting;`

and permitting the rotary n'iovenicnt of said element, a driven clement cnihridjfing a can] m'ember thc face Whcreof provii'lcil with inclined offsets. said cani faces rcgiatering Awith each other, means imposed hctwcen said frictional clutch element and said drivcn element for cumming said cam. faces to aotuate one upon-the other for shifting the same and the elements associatcd therewith, and means for adjusting said actuating means.

8. In an automatic friction clutch, a shaft, a 'frictionally controlled shift-able wheel inountcd thcrcon, moana :for jncvcntng and permitting' the rotary niovcn'ient ol' said `her rotatably occured thi-rolo a .ehit'tahlc member mounted ou said shall adjacent .said rotatable mcnrhcr,y a can assmgfiulcd with .Said Sl'iiltahlc nicmhor, moans for prt-vonting' and pm'nlitting thc rotary nmwnicnt of said Shil'tahle niciuhcn a syn-ing; nrljustcr incluait-d upon .aaicl 'Shiitaiiic momia-i'. a driven (flament monntcfi npou anni shall` having a mun contacting' with laici li :hcw iioucd cam. and yicllliogij nuoro imjmfe'eai hctnecn said .eliif'iahhnicinlwi and vvd clement for Shifting; aid mcmhci unil .flic wein aiongj .seid ,ah ,r

it?. ln an :iltonaan untill. o shaft. :i html fiiii'xoti tirerv o and loivsiiwg' therewith, a whccl cnieiaa'iyiog :s "an: lfmfclfg. mounted. upon said ihaft and Shiiialilo longitudinally thei'cof into and ont of can *uit with said head. means for controlling the rotary movement of said wheel, a driven cleincnt shiftably mounted upon said Shaft having a cani registering with Suid hooi cam, a disk adjacent said driven eicinent and fiiiedly secured ,to Said shaft, and a i ...will

springr connnuncating with Said wheel and Witnesses l HENRY F. CRANDALL, J. A. WALSH. 

